Iranian Supreme Leader Reportedly Warns President Pezeshkian Against Resignation Threats

Iran's Supreme Leader has reportedly warned President Masoud Pezeshkian that any future threat or offer to resign would be accepted immediately, according to a senior Shiite cleric with family ties to the country's ruling establishment.

The claim, made by Mohammad-Bagher Kharazi, has sparked political controversy in Iran. However, President Pezeshkian's office has strongly denied the allegations, calling them "baseless and an outright lie." The report was first published by Iran International.

In a video released on Monday, Kharazi—whose sister is married into the family of the Supreme Leader's son, Mojtaba Khamenei—claimed that President Pezeshkian had threatened to resign 28 times since taking office. He alleged that the president abandoned the idea after receiving a firm warning from the Supreme Leader.

Quoting the Supreme Leader, Kharazi said: "If he (Pezeshkian) submits another resignation, I will approve it. I will simply write 'Approved' at the bottom, and that will be the end of it."

According to Kharazi, the warning has deterred the president from making any further resignation threats.

The remarks follow earlier reports claiming that in May 2026, President Pezeshkian submitted a formal resignation letter to the Office of the Supreme Leader. According to those reports, he complained that his administration had been excluded from key policymaking decisions and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had assumed excessive control over state affairs.

President Pezeshkian's Deputy for Media and Information, Mehdi Tabatabai, dismissed Kharazi's remarks in a post on X (formerly Twitter), describing them as completely false.

He accused a coalition of "defeated and extremist elements" of attempting to undermine national unity.

"Two years after their defeat at the ballot box, they are still seeking revenge against the people. They have become puppets of Iran's enemies," Tabatabai wrote.

Presidential adviser Ali-Asghar Shafian also rejected the allegations, calling them "fictional stories." He stated that Kharazi has had no meetings or communication with Mojtaba Khamenei.

Shafian further alleged that the rumors were being spread by factions opposed to the recently signed Iran–United States memorandum of understanding.

Reformist political activist Ahmad Zeidabadi similarly described the claims as an attempt to inflame political tensions.

Kharazi also made several other controversial assertions, including that the Supreme Leader intends to replace Mohammad-Bagher Zolqadr as secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council with his military adviser, Mohsen Rezaei.

He further claimed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had been warned against threatening to withdraw from diplomatic negotiations and instructed not to interfere with ongoing talks related to the agreement with the United States.

The political dispute between President Pezeshkian's administration and hardline factions has intensified since the signing of the Iran–U.S. memorandum of understanding on June 17.

Hardline groups argue that the agreement contradicts the strategic policies set by the Supreme Leader.

The president's office, however, maintains that the agreement was approved by more than 75 percent of the members of the Supreme National Security Council before receiving the Supreme Leader's endorsement, making it a fully authorized state decision.